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A landmark falls 50 years ago

SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO The countyÕs second courthouse, built in 1860, was demolished in 1969. Local organizations like the city arts council and the county historical society fought to keep the historically significant building standing.

Fifty years ago this week, the county’s 109-year-old courthouse and its clock tower — a community landmark — fell to demolition as the county began the process of replacing its main building.

Before demolition began, county offices had to be moved. A temporary county building was established at 253-57 W. Third St., which today is a parking lot across the street from the Herman T. Schneebeli Federal Building.

There, the county occupied two of the three floors until the new courthouse was built. The judges’ chambers were moved to what was then the Post Office building and today is City Hall.

The move took place in early April 1969. At the time, staff encountered “a minor problem” with items that were missing, according to a report in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Those included some door knobs and lightswitch guards, as well as some telephone wiring on the second floor.

That was an issue for the District Attorney, who had not yet moved and was forced to go without service for a day.

Six marble slabs that had been stored in the basement also went missing.

Once all offices were moved out, the county donated some items to area historical societies and sold whatever else could be salvaged at public auction.

Among historical artifacts that were donated was an ornate carved oak, 8-foot-long built-in bench from Courtroom One, which went to the Jersey Shore Historical Society, according to the April 16, 1969, edition of the Sun-Gazette.

Other items saved when the courthouse was vacated included a bailiff stand and witness box that have been repurposed and are part of the Peter Herdic House on West Fourth Street.

Also sold was the old clock tower. It went to Joseph L. Lecce for $25, but then it was determined that the tower could not be salvaged intact as it was constructed with oak pins, according to the May 12, 1969, Sun-Gazette.

The four-faced clock, a landmark on the tower, had been silenced forever just a month earlier and now it, too, would come down.

Constructed in 1860 with an addition in 1903, the building’s first bricks were removed just before 3:30 p.m. May 12, 1969, the Sun-Gazette reported.

Less than an hour later, two sections between the windows had been knocked in — the job was engineered so that the debris would fall to the center.

The famed clock tower was slated to come down Friday of that week.

A large crowd gathered to witness its demise, the newspaper documented.

“A number of pigeons could be seen circling over the building, taking a definite interest in the fate of what probably had been their home,” the newspaper reported.

“The 125-foot courthouse tower came tumbling down at 8:07 a.m. today, and by this afternoon, most of the building had been razed,” the Sun-Gazette reported on May 15, 1969. At the time, it was an afternoon publication. “A large crowd was on hand to witness the tower’s end.”

Groundbreaking for a new courthouse, expected to cost $3.6 million, was set for 11 a.m. May 26, 1969. The general construction contract was awarded to Lundy Construction, and construction was expected to take 18 months to two years to complete.

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